Density jumps in the plasma of a nanosecond laser-induced spark and their dynamics

Experimental investigation of the structure of a laser-induced spark emerging in the focusing of 50-ns radiation pulses is described. Two density jumps were discovered in the plasma of the laser-induced spark. One of them is localised in the vicinity of the focal plane of the lens, the other propagates from this plane in the laser propagation direction at a constant velocity of ~7.5 km s^-1.